Waitaki Girls' High School facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Waitaki Girls' High School
Junior Block
Address
Trent Street, Oamaru, New Zealand
Coordinates	45°05′17″S 170°58′25″E / 45.0881°S 170.9735°E / -45.0881; 170.9735
Information
Type	State, Girls, Secondary years 9–13
Motto	Latin: Dulcius Ex Arduis "Satisfaction from hard work"
Established	1887; 138 years ago
Ministry of Education Institution no.	366
Principal	Sarah Hay
School roll	401 (February 2024)
Socio-economic decile	6N
Website	waitakigirls high.school.nz

Waitaki Girls' High School is a public high school for girls in Oamaru, New Zealand. It's on the East coast. The school started in 1887. Two local politicians, Samuel Shrimski and Thomas William Hislop, helped to create it.

Today, the school has about 400 girls. They are usually between 13 and 18 years old. The school also has a boarding house. About 50 girls live there. This includes students from other countries.

The school's motto is Dulcius Ex Arduis. This is a Latin phrase. It means "satisfaction from hard work."

School Houses and Teams

The school uses a house system. This means students are divided into four groups. Each house has its own colour. The houses are Burn (red), Ferguson (yellow), Gibson (green), and Wilson (blue).

These houses are named after the first four principals of the school. They were Margaret Burn, Catherine Ferguson, Mary Gibson, and Jessie Wilson. The houses compete against each other every year. They have fun competitions like athletics, swimming, choir, and drama.

How Many Students Attend

As of August 2025, the school has 401 students. Out of these students, (Expression error: Unexpected / operator.Expression error: Unexpected / operator.Expression error: Unexpected / operator.Expression error: Unexpected / operator.Expression error: Unexpected / operator.Expression error: Unexpected / operator.Expression error: Unexpected / operator.Expression error: Unexpected / operator.Expression error: Unexpected / operator.Expression error: Unexpected / operator.Expression error: Unexpected / operator.Expression error: Unexpected / operator.Expression error: Unexpected / operator.%) are Māori.

The school also has an Equity Index of 479. This helps show how many students might face challenges. It means the school supports students who might have more barriers to learning.

What Students Learn

Waitaki Girls' High School uses the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA). This is how students' learning is measured in New Zealand. The school focuses on students getting good grades.

Students who do very well get "Excellence Awards." These awards are given each year. They celebrate high marks in school tests and exams.

Subjects Taught

Students can study many different subjects. These include:

• English
• Mathematics (like statistics and calculus)
• Sciences (chemistry, biology, physics, agriculture)
• Languages (Japanese, German, Māori)
• Classics (ancient history and cultures)
• Computer studies
• Geography
• History
• Physical Education
• Art (painting, photography, art history)

School Leaders: Principals

Since it opened in 1887, Waitaki Girls' High School has had 12 principals. Here is a list of all the principals:

Famous Former Students

Some students from Waitaki Girls' High School have become well-known. Here are a few:

• Anne Taylor – She used to be the president of Netball New Zealand. She also led World Netball.
• Isabel Clark – She was a nurse. She sadly died in World War I. This happened when the British troopship SS Marquette sank.
• Janet Frame – She was a very famous New Zealand author.